The Main Trends in the Development of the UK Party-Political System after the 2019 General Parliamentary Elections

Abstract

The 2019 general parliamentary elections in the UK took place in the context of a prolonged socio-political crisis: it was the second early election in three years, which is extremely atypical for Britain. Elections were held after resignation of T. May, who after several attempts failed to get support for her draft Agreement on Britain's withdrawal from the EU in the House of Commons and decided to leave the post of prime minister and leader of the Conservatives. Shortly after the victory of the Tories, the exit of the country from the EU, which was the main stumbling block in political discourse for three whole years, was finally completed by the new Tory leader B. Johnson. Then it seemed that the main contradictions had been overcome, but the coronavirus pandemic became another test of strength for the country's political system, and B. Johnson himself fell into a series of scandals that led not only to a declining trust in the prime minister, but to his resignation. Against the backdrop of instability in the political life of the country, the role of regional parties has also changed, which, as forces of opposition pressure, have a significant impact on the domestic political agenda. This article examines features of the development of the UK party-political system on the eve and after the 2019 general parliamentary elections. First of all, attention is paid to analyzing the election results, to the study of B. Johnson's policy in a period of crisis, the assessment of the approaches of the Labour Party under K. Starmer, and the analysis of the transforming role of regional parties in the country. The article also highlights the factors in the development of the modern party-political system in Great Britain. The main conclusion of the article is that despite the deep and prolonged political crisis in the country, the system remains stable and, moreover, the Conservative Party manages to maintain its dominance in these circumstances.